Madras High Court Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) T. Raja on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 administered the oath of office to four judicial officers who have been elevated as additional judges of the High Court for a period of two years. Of the four, Justices R. Sakthivel, P. Dhanabal and C. Kumarappan had served as Registrars General of the court, while Justice K. Rajasekar had been the member secretary of the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority (TNSLSA).
The oath was administered after Registrar General (in-charge) M. Jothiraman read out the Presidential warrants of appointment, the notifications issued by the Centre and the authorisation given by Governor R.N. Ravi to the ACJ to administer the oaths.
Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram welcomed the four new judges to the High Court and introduced them to a gathering of law officers, advocates and court staff.
The A-G said, Justice Sakthivel was born to C. Ramasamy and R. Vaeppayi at Vangal, a village on the banks of the Cauvery in Karur district on July 21, 1973. After completing his early education at government schools, he passed out of the Government Law College in Tiruchi in 1997 and enrolled with the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in 1998. He joined the district judiciary in 2011 through direct recruitment and served in various districts.
Justice Dhanabal was born to T. Pappusamy and P. Palaniammal at Thoranakkalpatti village, also in Karur district, on March 5, 1974. After obtaining a science degree from a government college in Karur, he had graduated in law from the Government Law College in Tiruchi and enrolled with the Bar Council in 2011. He joined the district judiciary and served in Dharmapuri, Tirunelveli, Cuddalore and Puducherry.
Justice Kumarappan was born to A.T. Chinnasamy and C. Thilagam in Sivaganga district on July 15, 1972. He completed his schooling at Vallal Pari Higher Secondary School at Kundrakudi before jointing the Government Law College in Coimbatore. He graduated in 1996 and joined the district judiciary in 2011 when he was posed as Additional District Munsif in Thoothukudi before taking up various other assignments.
Justice Rajasekar was born to Kandasamy and Lakshmikutti in Chennai on April 19, 1975 and completed his law degree in 1998. He then, started practising law and appeared before the Madras High Court frequently. After his spell as a lawyer, he joined the district judiciary in 2011 and served in Namakkal, Salem, Tirunvelveli and Chennai.
All four judges became judicial officers in 2011, and are now elevated to the Madras High Court too, on the same day, the A-G said.
State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohamed Jinnah, Additional Advocates General, State Government Pleader P. Muthukumar, other law officers, Bar Council of India vice-chairman S. Prabakaran, office-bearers of various Bar associations and other lawyers participated in the swearing-in ceremony.
